


What ifs.

by Pixelatrix



Series: Universal Truth One-Shots: Darby & Wallace [8]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Dating, Drinking, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-28
Updated: 2013-10-28
Packaged: 2017-12-30 18:16:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1021857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pixelatrix/pseuds/Pixelatrix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a one-shot attached to Universal Truth. It's...a what-if Wallace had gone after Darby when she dumped him after she found out that Anderson had gotten a divorce.  So sort of an alternate chapter of sorts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What ifs.

**Author's Note:**

> Bioware Owns All Sadly...
> 
> except Wallace.
> 
> As always, I am open to prompts. Hope you enjoy.

Wallace was drunk. 

Very.

Drunk.

He knew that he was very drunk because Hackett had just waltzed into his fucking apartment and he hadn’t thrown so much as a bottle cap at the man.  The bastard had the balls to sit on his couch, drinking his beer while calling him a complete idiot.

“I am not a fucking idiot.” Wallace finally protested.

“Then why are you drunk before noon on a Monday?” Hackett was definitely _not_ drunk.

“She dumped me.” Wallace growled at Hackett when he laughed at him. “I’d punch you but I can’t decide which one of you is real.”

“Who dumped you? I thought you didn’t _do_ relationships?  How could you be dumped if all you do is screw around with mostly married women?”

“Fuck you.”

“So the blonde finally find out that David is single.” Hackett sounded highly amused. “Did she drop you and run into his bed?”

“No.” Wallace thought it would’ve been easier if Darby had done that. “She said it wouldn’t be fair to either of us.  So she’s not going to see anyone for a year.”

“You are a stupid bastard.”

“You said that already.” Wallace rubbed the back of his head. “Fuck. I need coffee. Go make me coffee.”

“I am _not_ your butler.” Hackett ducked when Wallace threw his beer at him. He glanced over his shoulder at the broken glass on the floor. “Fine. I’ll make a pot of coffee.”

Two pots of coffee later, Wallace felt a little too sober.  Hackett blocked the fridge when he went for a beer.    The man seemed completely unimpressed when he threatened to crush him into a compact container. 

_Bastard._

Giving up on the idea of more booze, Wallace stumbled into the bedroom to take a shower.  He started with warm water but quickly turned into as cold as it would go.  The shock was enough to shake both sleep from him and sobriety into him.  He stepped back into the kitchen to find Hackett had made breakfast…or lunch technically.

“So what are you going to do?” Hackett waited until Wallace had finished lunch and another cup of coffee before asking.

“Do?”

“You’re in love with the woman.” He made it sound like it was a concrete fact.

“I don’t…”

“Oh? Really? So you generally get completely drunk on a Monday morning and forget that you’re a damn drill instructor in the Alliance?” Hackett turned towards him with an amused grin.  “You’ve got a week of shore-leave.  Being an Admiral has its advantages.  You can stay here and get drunk, or you can change into something…less… _Wallace_ and go get the woman.”

“She dumped me.” Wallace paused to glance down at the t-shirt and jeans that he was wearing. “What’s wrong with my clothes?”

“She dumped you because you didn’t tell her that you wanted a relationship.  You let her think that this was just another one of your _flings._ ” Hackett reached over to smack him on the back of the head. “Do you really want to watch David take her away from you?  He’s still hung up about Kahlee. You know it. I know it. The only one that doesn’t know it is David.  He’ll try to turn her into Kahlee.”

“No, he won’t.”

Hackett shook his head and sighed. “You and I both know that’s why his last marriage didn’t work out.  Don’t pretend that he won’t try to do it with Shepard.  I don’t even think David realizes that he does it.”

With an annoyed sigh, Wallace stood up from his chair and grabbed Hackett by the arm.  He dragged him to the front door and shoved him out of his apartment.  He snapped a salute at the laughing Admiral and let the door close in his face.  He’d had enough _advice_ for one fucking morning.

The trouble was that Hackett had a point about Anderson.  He’d never gotten over the blonde that he’d rescued years ago.  They’d _pined_ for each other before finally being forced to move on.  It wouldn’t take long for Darby to get _really_ fucking tired of it.

_She deserved better than that._

He walked back in the kitchen to clean up the mess that Hackett had left.  Once the dishes were cleaned, he stood staring at the side of his fridge.  There were pictures stuck to it that Darby had left.  They were from a night at a pub in Madrid. 

Moving closer, Wallace picked up one of him playing darts with Darby and Joe.    She was laughing in the shot.  He remembered that she’d been cheating by nudging him or Joe when it was their turn to throw darts.

_The little cheat._

He placed the photo back on the fridge and headed towards his bedroom.  Hackett, the bastard, had a point.  He had never given Darby any indication that he wanted more than a few quick fucks here and there. 

The idea of Anderson in her bed…he stopped himself from slamming a fist through the wall at the thought.  Her transport back to Toronto would be leaving in a few hours.  She’d come to visit him in person to tell him that it was over. 

_Fuck._

Hackett was right; he should’ve gone after her.  Grabbing his leather jacket, he tossed it on over the white t-shirt that was wearing with dark blue jeans and black boots.  He rushed out of his apartment, barely remembering to lock the door. 

He made it to the Alliance docks with an hour to spare.  She was sitting in the café across the street.  She glanced up at him with a confused frown when he stepped up to her table. 

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Darby asked before turning her attention back to her coffee and what looked like a chocolate croissant.

He decided that their conversation needed to happen somewhere a little more private.  Pulling her up out of the seat, he led her out of the café and around the corner into the alley behind the restaurant.  Once he released his hold on her arm, Darby leaned back against the brick wall and glared at him.

“I was _eating_ breakfast. What the fuck is your problem?” She folded her arms across her chest with the same stubborn look that he’d seen a million times before during boot camp.

“What if I’m not _interested_ in you being someone else’s?” Wallace hadn’t really meant to just come right out and say it.  He rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to think of a less…abrupt way to say what he was feeling.

“Excuse me?” Darby canted her head to the side as she stared at him like he’d sprouted a second head. “Did I hit my fucking head and not realize it?  This is clearly a concussion induced hallucination.”

“Blondie.”

“I have to go.” She started out of the alley away from him.

Wallace lunged forward to grab the back of her shirt.  He pulled her back towards her while spinning her around to face him. “Just…why him? Why not me?”

“Wallace.” She held up her hands to keep their bodies apart.  “What the fuck brought this on? I mean…Friday night; you were wishing me fucking luck.  And last night, you had your tongue down that bitch’s throat.”

He frowned at her last statement. “Jealous?  I thought you weren’t interested.”

Darby’s mouth snapped shut. “I am not a fucking…what the hell do you want from me?  You’ve never even taken me out on a date.  We fucked.  We’re friends…good friends.  And we fucked…a lot.  That is not a damn relationship.  You don’t do that.  Hell, I don’t fucking do that.”

“We could.” Wallace brought her closer to him.  His arms sliding around her waist as he leaned down to run his nose along the underside of her jaw. “It could be a hell of a lot of fun.”

Her hand came up to force his head back as her eyes searched his. “Are you fucking with me?”

“Would I do that?”

“Yes.”

Wallace threw his head back and laughed.  “True.”

“Stuart.” Darby’s grin had disappeared. “Is this a joke?”

“No.”  He hesitated for a moment before continuing. “I didn’t sleep with the woman that you saw me with.  Give me a chance.”

“Why?”

“I’ve got tickets to the Man City versus Man United derby.” He wiggled his eyebrow at her. “I need a date.”

Darby shook her head.  He could tell that she planned on saying no.  He could see her starting to form the word.  His fingers tangled in her hair as he dragged her up into a kiss.  

She swatted him on the arm but he continued the kiss.  Her fingers drifted up his arm to hold on to his shoulder.  He backed her up against the wall as his tongue pressed into her mouth. 

“Say yes.” He whispered against her lips. “I don’t want to see you with David.  You should be fucking mine.”

“No more kissing fucking other people.” Darby crushed her lips against his. “I’m not going to fucking share.”

“So…that’s a yes?”

“Oh yea.”


End file.
